Bayonetta 3 Might Release Soon, ESRB Rating Hints

PlatinumGames’ Bayonetta 3 has received a “Mature” rating from the ESRB,  as per the game’s page on  Nintendo’s website. Several social media users on Twitter and Reddit shared references to the website, indicating its new rating. The Mature rating is due to “violence, blood and gore, partial nudity, strong language”. 

Bayonetta 3 will be released soon since an official rating usually means that the primary content of the game has been finalized by the ESRB. However, the official website of ESRB is yet to update its ratings. Nintendo’s website also mentions that the game is slated to release in 2022. 

Initially announced in 2017, Bayonetta 3 has been in the development stage for an extended period of time. The gameplay footage was released in September 2021 on Nintendo Direct. 

The previous game in the series was released back in 2014 for Wii U. Last month, the creator of Bayonetta 3, Hideki Kamiya tweeted that he really wants gamers to play the previous two installments before diving into Bayonetta 3.

なんとなく改めてこれを言いたくなったんだけど、「ベヨネッタ３」を遊んでみようと思って下さっている方は、ぜひ今のうちに「ベヨネッタ１」「ベヨネッタ２」を遊んでおいて欲しいです…
その方がお話を100倍楽しめると思います…

ベヨネッタ・ベヨネッタ2 紹介映像 https://t.co/OO2c3zMwZH

— 神谷英樹 Hideki Kamiya (@PG_kamiya) June 7, 2022

The ESRB has not yet released the reasons for giving the game a “Mature” rating. This was expected since the previous installments in the series are also primarily based on adult themes and violence. 

There have been claims online that the game will release on October 28, 2022, by a Twitter user going by the handle ‘SyluxHunter’. Fans have been speculating that Bayonetta is very likely to come out on October 28. It is important to note that Nintendo in the past has also preferred releasing its flagship games during the time before Halloween. 

Even if Bayonetta 3 misses the 2022 deadline, there shouldn't be too much longer of a wait. Director Yusuke Miyata stated that the game is in the final stretch of development back in September 2021. Bayonetta 3's fresh ratings and Nintendo’s promise to deliver should offer fans new hope. 

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